Vehicle top backstay



' Feb. 10. 1925.

1,526,272- T. H. FERGUSON VEHICLE TOP BACKSTAY i l Filed May 5, 1922 gnoewkw T'- H F'er zzson Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED- STATES 1,526,272 PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H, FERGUSON, ANNA, ILLINOIS, ASS-IGNOB 0F ONE-HALF 'IQ ED SAMSON,

OE ANNA,

ILLINOIS,

VEHICLE TOP BAGKSTAY.

Application filed. May 5, 1922, serial T 0 all 40 710m it mag concern Be it known that I, THOMAS FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anna, in the county of Union and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Top Backstays; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable l0 others'skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Tops for automobiles and other vehicles usually have the back connected with the body to prevent strain and injury to the back curtain or cover and to hold the top in prosition when raised. The connecting means usually consists of webbing which frequently stretches and yields to strain.

The present invention provides a metal stay which is adjustable and collapsible to admit of the top folding readily without producing any slack in the stay which is an objectionable feature of the ordinary webbing stay.

Qther objects and advantages will be apparent and suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is understood.

While the drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions and requirements, various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application Figure 1 is a front view of a stay for vehicle tops embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a detail view of the loop and loop strap at one end of the'stay to admit of connecting the same to the top of the back row of the vehicle,

Figure 3 is a detail view of the hinge for connecting the opposite end of the stay to the vehicle body, and

Figure 4 is a detail view of the two members comprising the main portion of the stay, the same being separated;

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The stay comprises two members 1 and 2 having sliding engagement and provided at one end with a loop 3 and at its opposite No. 558,744, Renewed June 24, 1924.

nects the loop 3 with the member 1 of the stay. The short strap 4c has one end bent about the loop 3 and its opposite end formed with an opening 7 to receive a screw or like fastening 8, whereby the strap 1 is connected to the part 1. Opposite edge portions of the strap 4: are bent to provide flanges 9 which engage opposite edges of the member, thereby preventing turning of the strap 4 on the single fastening 8. The member 1 is provided with a plurality of threaded openings 10 to receive the screw 8, whereby the strap 1 1; may be adjustably connected to the mem- The hinge is pivotally connected to the member 2 as indicated at 11 and the outer leaf or member 6 is adapted to be attached to the body of the vehicle in any preferred way. The distance between the upper ends of a pair of stays when in position is different from the distance between the lower ends of the stays, hence the advantage of pivotally connecting the hinge to the stay, whereby to admit of the raising or lowering of the top without interference.

The member 1 is provided at its inner end with lips 12 which engage about opposite edge portions of the member 2. The inner end of the member 2 is provided with lips 13 which engage about opposite longitudinal edge portions of the member 1. The lips 12 and 13 retain the members 1 and 2 in assembled relation and direct them in their sliding movements and also constitute stops to limit the extension of the stay when pro-perly adjusted to the vehicle top. When the top is up, the stay is extended to its full length and the lips 12 and 13 are in abut ting relation. When lowering the top, the member 1 sliding on the member 2 prevents any slack such as results with the webbing stav.

What is claimed is:

1. A back stay for vehicletops consisting of metallic straps adapted to slide one upon the other under service conditions, lips integral with and adjacent the inner ends of the straps, the lips of each strap overlapping the companion strap, said lips being adapted to engage each other to limit relative movement of the straps in one direction, a short strap having flanges overlapping the sides of one of the first mentioned straps,

a pin. to effect adjustable connection between said short strap and last mentioned strap, said flanges serving to prevent turning movement of one strap relative to the other from said pin as an axis.

2. A back stay for vehicle tops consisting of metallic straps adapted to slide one upon the other under service conditions, lips integral with and adjacent the inner ends of the straps, the lips of each strap overlapping the companion strap, said lips being adapted to engage each other to limit relative movement of the straps in one direction, a short strap having flanges overlapping the sides of one of the first mentioned straps, said short strap having adjustable connection with the last mentioned strap and held against lateral displacement by said flanges, and a hinge having pivotal connection With the other end of the other of the first mentioned straps on an axis transversely thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS H. FERGUSON. Witnesses JOHN M. Bums DOLIHUS CASPER. 

